Volkswagen Passat Turbo Issues

62 messages,  Last post on Feb 29, 2012 at 8:55 PM

You are in the Volkswagen Passat Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Passat, Sedan, Wagon

#8 of 62 Passat 1.8T Smoking by zorro3

Jan 21, 2007 (8:39 pm)

I originally posted this as a reply, but reposting it here so that its in the correct category.
 
I have a 2000 Passat 1.8 Turbo which started billowing out a huge cloud of white smoke from the exhaust with an oily smell. Taking off the intake hose I found a small amount of oil on the inside. There has been no recurrence of that smoke bomb or oil smell for three days, and the car has run normally. A mechanic informed me this would certainly point to bad turbo seals and I should replace the turbo but I am a little suspicious of that analysis since he didn't inspect anything other than the hose.
  
I am no means a mechanic and i plan to take the car to VW since they presumably have the equipment to diagnose this. I was wondering if the oil residue in the hose could be related to crankcase ventilation and whether the white smoke could be a defective oil cooler or other factors than turbo seals.
  
The oil was about three quarters of a quart overfilled which may have something to do with it; I intend to get another oil change.

#9 of 62 Re: ew [mybestdog] by frankeldaniel

Jan 23, 2007 (4:03 pm)

Replying to: mybestdog (Dec 16, 2006 9:33 am)
From what I gather, this lube joint might have mixed standard glycal alcohol coolant (the green stuff) with your pink Volkswagen G12. If not flushed soon, you'll end up in the same rabbit hole I just climbed out of. After replacing the radiator, water pump, thermostat and rebuilding the head gasket, I'm $3,500 poorer. The combination of the two liquids forms a gel that blocks up the cooling system.

#10 of 62 Re: Passat 1.8T Smoking [zorro3] by prop3

Jan 31, 2007 (6:30 pm)

Replying to: zorro3 (Jan 21, 2007 8:39 pm)
MY 2002 Passat 1.8 Turbo recently developed this same white, oily smelling cloud of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The first time this happened, it was very cold (5 degrees F) outside. The problem went away later that day when the temperature warmed up outside. There was no problem for several days after. Then, again on a very cold morning, the same cloud of white smoke, that smells like oil! I have parked the car, waiting for an answer from anyone, and warmer weather. This sounds similar to your problem. Have you had any responses? A would appreciate any suggestions, thoughts or comments. Thanx.

#11 of 62 Smoking Passat by zorro3

Feb 01, 2007 (1:04 am)

This happened to my passat twice!! as well, on cold mornings after the car had been sitting overnight and I had driven more than 50 miles the day before. There were three days between those two incidents where the car was driving normally. I have asked an independent VW mechanic and the dealership who believed I had no serious engine problems such as bad valve seals/valve guides, rings, head gasket, or turbo damage since otherwise I would have continuous problems, not just one or two isolated incidents. Some oil residue in the turbo intake is a normal thing for these cars and not an indication of bad turbo seals.
 
I added Sea Foam which cleans contaminants out of both fuel and oil systems (its also an anti-gel) and the problem hasn't recurred since then. It can be used in the throttle body and intake manifold but I didn't attempt that. (Seafoam recommends you do an oil change fairly soon after using it)
 
The other day my car was in the shop for a timing belt change; a vacuum compression test on the car came up normal.

#12 of 62 Re: 2003 1.8T water leak passenger side [vw27278] by thesherriff

Feb 15, 2007 (2:19 pm)

Replying to: vw27278 (Dec 19, 2006 1:25 pm)
I had this problem but on the driver side. It resulted in a lemon law suit. The problem was finally resolved at 150 miles left on the warranty. The cause was the engine housing module seal needed to be replace. It took 9 months for 1 of 2 different VW dealers to figure this out.

#13 of 62 Re: 2003 1.8T water leak passenger side [thesherriff] by h8passat

Apr 06, 2007 (6:37 pm)

Replying to: thesherriff (Feb 15, 2007 2:19 pm)
I have the same problem - drivers side rear footwell fills up with water. Cause does not appear to be battery drain or pollen filter housing. What do you mean by engine housing module, and how much did it cost?
 
thx.

#14 of 62 Re: 2003 1.8T water leak passenger side [h8passat] by devildel

Sep 24, 2007 (1:50 pm)

Replying to: h8passat (Apr 06, 2007 6:37 pm)
i have this same problem - a drain needs to be cleared- there is a recall that you have to do - i set up appt to ge mine done in conjunction with another issue that might involve ignitor coils or MAF -
 
for leak i know pollen filter has to be changed b/c of spore build up and leak can get into a manifold area around wheel

#15 of 62 What is the normal high temp for a turbo by mechanhic

Oct 08, 2007 (1:29 pm)

My 99 Passat (1.8L) has a new turbocharger and I have test driven it for 3-4 miles and stopped back to the garage. While it was still running to "cool down" I popped the hood and the tubocharger itself was glowing pretty good. Does anyone know what an acceptable temperature should be? If it's too hot, what could be the problem? I tested the oil supply line and the coolant supply line. Both show positive flow rates... Thank you for your help..

#16 of 62 Re: What is the normal high temp for a turbo [mechanhic] by 600kgolfgt

Oct 08, 2007 (6:29 pm)

Replying to: mechanhic (Oct 08, 2007 1:29 pm)
Are you using a motor oil that conforms to VW specs (hint: all are synthetic)?
 
Other than that, if you popped the hood right after driving the car at high speeds, the turbo could get hot enough to glow. That's why its a good idea to let the engine run for a couple of minutes before shutting it down to allow for the temperature to stabilize.
 
Check the engine temperature gauge. The needle should be dead center (190 degrees) F.

#17 of 62 Re: What is the normal high temp for a turbo [600kgolfgt] by mechanhic

Oct 09, 2007 (11:50 am)

Replying to: 600kgolfgt (Oct 08, 2007 6:29 pm)
Thank you for your help, Brian
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